Dr. Mason Reed

Dr. Reed has over 10 years of experience in the solar industry. His professional experience has followed a path similar to silicon feedstock’s journey through the industry’s value chain. Starting with wafer production technology, cell processing, and module design all the way through to PV system design, energy yield analysis, reliability testing and failure analysis of faulty panels. More recent projects have centered on field testing and diagnostics of both newly commissioned and near end-of-life PV arrays, as well as determining the impact of project logistics, material handling methods, and extreme weather events on system performance outcomes. Dr. Reed also possesses expertise in printed circuit board design and manufacturing of power electronics for use in novel off-grid solar power applications. Mason serves as Vice President of Technology at Core Energy Works’ and has worked to develop low cost and rapid testing methods for PV systems.

Employment History

Vice President of Technology, Core Energy Works
2014-Present
Dr. Reed’s work at Core Energy Works includes: development of PV module and system testing methods; electronic circuit design; PV system reliability analysis of fielded assets; PV system design and energy yield analysis. Core Energy Works also provides warranty and failure analysis services for international panel manufactures lacking a strong US presence; this enables a significant cost and time savings in resolving warranty and insurance claims within the US.

Advanced Product Development Engineer, Motech Americas
2011-2014
Dr. Reed led the design, certification, and reliability testing efforts for the development of next generation smart modules incorporating distributed max power point tracking technology, AC modules, and high voltage DC boost technology.

Photovoltaic module scientist, BP Solar
2011
Primary responsibilities included:

Design and prototype advanced back-contact PV panels for next generation PV systems
Develop new assembly processes for high efficiency back-contact solar modules
Design and prototype monolithic module assembly backsheets
Evaluate new solar cell interconnection materials such as conductive adhesive systems and low temperature solder compounds
Conduct accelerated environmental testing of candidate materials to identify the most suitable materials for long term reliability

Certification and Reliability Test Laboratory Manager, Motech Americas
2010-2011
Dr. Reed established and maintained an Intertek “Satellite Lab” for the testing and qualification of new products at Motech. Satellite Labs allow cost-effective testing and rapid adoption of newly developed materials and processing techniques required to reduce product cost without compromising product reliability. Primary responsibilities included:

Conduct photovoltaic module design and certification to UL1703, IEC61215, IEC61730-1, and IEC6130-2 standards
Maintain Intertek Manufacturing Satellite laboratory facilities and equipment to enable rapid product certification to relevant performance and safety standards. The satellite test laboratory is in the SAT III program of the Intertek manufacturing test program and capable of conducting nearly all UL and IEC certification tests required to bring a product to market
Maintain current ISO17025 calibration/certification of all certification equipment
Plan, execute, and document all certification testing for new products and design modifications to existing PV module product line. Final reports submitted to NRTL for final review and approval
Obtain ATM for new design features and alternative materials to maintain competitive cost position of company products upon completion of successful certification testing
Coordinate Initial Factory Acceptance inspections for new manufacturing facilities around the globe and corresponding Authority to Mark to enable production at said facilities
Arrange certification file rollovers to alternative testing bodies when secondary ATMs are required by customers or by local market regulations
Coordinate third-party independent performance testing required by the California Energy Commission for Eligible Equipment listing of PV modules
Administrate engineering Windchill PDMLink 9.1 product lifecycle management system for product design information control and change management execution

R&D Engineer, General Electric Solar
2006-2010
Dr. Reed held a variety of roles at GE solar over the years as the business shifted focus from upstream processes (wafering & cell processing) to downstream processes (PV system design and energy yield modeling) during, perhaps, the most turbulent years of the solar industry.
Responsibilities/Roles included:

Program Manager, Crystalline Silicon Rooftop PV System: Responsible for development/design of 100kW photovoltaic power plant for commercial building rooftops; complete system design and engineering documentation; UL certification of design; coordination of computational fluid dynamic simulations and wind tunnel testing of system design for wind load determination. Achieved 50% reduction in mounting system cost and decreased plant assembly time by 25%.
Technical Leader, Direct Wafer Casting: Responsible for development of continuous silicon wafer casting process and commercial licensing effort of same. 1000 wafers per hour production rates achieved. Exceeded program goal for device efficiency (12.75% actual vs. 12.5% target) and met material utilization targets. Extensive furnace design and reconfiguration required. Required utilization, processing and transport of high chlorine content fluidized bed silicon through various machinery without elevating impurity content; processing equipment material selection, etc… Characterization of produced wafer quality, minority carrier lifetime, impurity concentrations, extended structural defects. Complete solar cell processing of produced wafers into solar cells and solar modules.
Program Lead/Designer, Annual Energy Production Simulation: Developed software for the prediction of photovoltaic power plant energy output. Predictions validated to be accurate to within 1% to actual energy yield. Resulting software leveraged in the creation of system level performance guarantees for system sales.
Team member, Alternative Solar Grade Silicon: Assisted in the development of alternative carbothermic reduction of quartz to produce solar grade silicon for manufacturing solar cells. Achieved silicon creation using novel carbon-coated quartz granular feedstock without traditional carbon electrode. 1 microsecond minority carrier lifetime achieved in pilot runs.
Co-developer, Hydrogen Production Method: Developed low-cost hydrogen production method via the catalyzed oxidation of silicon fines in water (silicon fines are an otherwise waste byproduct of silicon production and silicon ingot and boule sawing). 4 hydrogen atoms produced per silicon atom with nearly 100% silicon oxidation achieved. Method allows water to be used as hydrogen storage medium. Projected energy cost of $0.10/kWh
Lead Process Engineer, Pilot Solar Cell Processing Line: Baselined manufacturing process for pilot solar cell line. Complete manufacturing sequence developed: surface texturing, diffusion, SiN antireflection coating deposition, screen printing and firing of metallization contacts. Multicrystalline silicon solar cell efficiency target of 15% exceeded by 0.5% absolute (2006).
Team Member, Certification Lab: UL witness testing for certification of new products and recertification of product changes. Familiar with UL/certification process from program inception, through product testing to certificate issuance.
Team Member, Material Characterization Lab: Material and Device Characterization-Photoconductive decay lifetime measurements, quantum efficiency measurements, lock-in thermography for shunt detection, SEM and EDS analysis, FTIR for impurity detection

Post-doctoral Researcher, National Research Council/NCSU; Raleigh, North Carolina
2005-2006
As a Post-doctoral Researcher, responsibilities/roles included:

Visiting Research Professor/Post-doctoral Fellow: Implemented MOCVD system design modifications and process improvements to yield device quality III-Nitrides for LED and dilute magnetic semiconductor applications. Improved interface quality for superlattice structures, reduced memory effect from low vapor pressure precursors, improved p-type doping density and LED brightness by 2x.
Facility Relocation Coordination: Responsible for new Facility design, layout and implementation for four relocated laboratories including a deposition lab, a microelectronics processing lab, a sample prep lab, and an optoelectronic/laser characterization laboratory (high purity gas distribution, cooling water requirements, electrical service).

Graduate Researcher, NCSU; Raleigh, North Carolina
1998-2005
As a Graduate Researcher, responsibilities/roles included:

Graduate Research Associate: Responsible for all aspects of III-Nitride MOCVD program, including: growth and characterization of baseline material; processing devices; maintaining adequate supply inventory; maintaining metalorganic, ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen supply.
Commissioned a class 100 modular cleanroom: arranged for the purchase of mask aligner, electron beam evaporator, spinner, and ICP/RIE etcher as well as the modular cleanroom itself. Installed said equipment and proved-in initial process flow for the manufacture of LED structures at the wafer level.
Skilled at fabricating devices using standard contact lithography, e-beam metallization, and RIE-ICP plasma etching.
Successfully produced conventional blue LEDs (450 nm)
Successfully designed and produced amongst the first III-nitride quaternary U.V. LEDs (340 nm)
Developed monolithically integrated blue and red multi-wavelength diodes utilizing a conventional blue nitride LED structure to pump a ruby substrate for red light emission.
Developed dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) based technology in the III-Nitride materials system via metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOCVD).
Developed DMS based Schottky diodes for use as photodetectors sensitive to the polarization state of the detected light.
Routinely characterized thin films using the following: Hall measurements to determine carrier type, mobility, carrier concentration and thin film resistivity; Nomarski microscopy for surface inspection; DCXRD to determine film structural quality; theta-two theta x-ray diffraction measurements for determining film composition.
Performed optical characterization of direct transition semiconductors using photoluminescence measurements as well as absorption/transmission measurements.
Trained incoming graduate students on experimental equipment.
Central X-Ray Facility Manager, 2003 – 2005 North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC: Responsible for setup and sustaining maintenance of a DCXRD instrument for material dislocation density and grain size determination.
Installed and sustained a theta-two theta general use diffraction instrument.
Responsible for customer billing and training new users on proper instrument procedures and data interpretation

Undergraduate Research Associate, NCSU; Raleigh, North Carolina
1995-2007
As an Undergraduate Research Associate, responsibilities/roles included:

Polymer Science Educational Software Developer: Developed the online Visualizations in Polymer Science (ViPS) tutorial on Apple-based and Web-based platforms for undergraduates studying polymer chemistry.

Job Related Training

Six Sigma Green Belt (March 2008)
Siemens NX Unigraphics Design Course (November 2008)
GE Foundations of Leadership Course (August 2008)

Affiliations

Materials Research Society (MRS) Member</li)
American Vacuum Society (AVS) Member

Professional Publications/Presentations

20 Publications</li)
Patent Disclosure for Invention: “Mechanism for dispensing Si powder” M.J. Reed, S. Pisklak, C. Colgan August 2008.

View entire list of Publications and Presentations.

Additional Information

GAANN Electronic Materials Fellow 1999-2003
Member Alpha Sigma Mu Honor Society
Graduated Class Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude
1st place Senior Design Competition, NCSU 1998
Completed NCSU Scholars Program
Volunteer for Junior Solar Sprint event, Delaware 2008 and 2009